SDLA DID NOT WORK FOR ME

My axillary sweating returned completely by week 5, quicker than the 1st time, with the more superficial procedure. I can honestly say that I had no improvement at all with either of the SDLA procedures. Darn. Will be going to see Dr. R. Karpinski in New York next for the modified Skoog procedure.

SDLA SURGERY #2

Had the surgery again 2/8/2010 and today is post-op day 2. The new procedure was more traumatic on me than the first time around. Maybe because less anesthesia was used, maybe because I had scar tissue from the first time. Don't know. Besides the underarm swelling and some brusing the recovery is going well so far. I didn't have the numbness down my arm that happened the day of the last surgery, and I don't have the nerve pain down both arms like last time either. So far no erosion. No sweating noted so far but it was day 3 on a hot summer day before I noted any return of sweating. It is winter and cold now. For me that normally does not matter as my sweating is mostly anxiety produced anyway. I will keep posting as the days go by...

6 Months Post-Op 1st SDLA

My axillary sweating and odor has returned 100%. The case of ringworm I had turned out to be nummular eczema and not ringworm at all. New condition since the surgery but don't think it is related.
I am going to return to Dr. Nielson for another SDLA procedure soon to try again with a revised protocol. I will keep this blog going until my journey ends with dry underarms.
Wish me luck!

7 Weeks of Erosion Recovery and Today

The area of necrosis under my left armpit worsened to about the size of a jellybean and was about 5mm deep at the worst point. I went to a dermatologist who prescribed me a skin growth cream to pack in the wound and told me to put Bacitracin ointment on a gauze to cover the area twice a day. I tried this but was allergic to every type of tape, even paper tape. So, I just packed with the skin builder and used Bacitracin over it to keep it moist. I also took a month worth of antibiotics to make sure there was no infection creeping in. It took 7 weeks to heal but finally did. Today I remain with quite a bit of thick scar tissue under that armpit. It is in the shape of an oval and is about 1.5" above the wound and 1/2 an inch below. There was no pain with the healing.
As for the sweating and odor..........the odor has returned full force. The sweating has improved about 10% from baseline. Not what I had hoped for. I am back to using paper towels under my arms to soak up the sweat several times a day. I also have a raging case of ringworm under my right armpit due to the return of full moisture in a warm area.
I can still feel the tracts under my skin from the cannula used during the procedure but they don't hurt. There is a bit of scar tissue noted as I am not able to stretch the skin under the arm too far without pain. All of the nerve pain that I was feeling after the surgery is resolved. When I shave my pits I still have some numbness so I can't feel the razor in some areas.

Day 8 Post-Op

Today the whole left discolored area is erroded and a new scar bandaid with Neosporin was applied. The right has odor and about a quarter size of perspiration at a point of anxiety today. Today also I have very superficial nerve pain on the undersides of both upper arms like something has rubbed them raw but it only hurts when touched. Not terribly disturbing.

Day 7 Post-Op

Bottom 1/2 of left pit is still eroded. Heard from Dr. Nielson's office to put Neosporin on it and a scar bandaid to keep the air off of it. Hard to keep the scar bandaid (silicone) on a warm area. Keeps sliding off. On another note, I noticed an area about the size of a nickel under my right armpit of wet perspiration while under anxiety. Lots of odor under right today also. Bummer.

Day 6 Post-Op

Tonight after I took the pictures I noticed that under my left pit, in the area of discoloration, I have lost some dead skin and it now looks like an ulcer in the bottom 1/2 of the area. I guess this is skin erosion. It is not tender as the whole area is still numb but is kind of gross. I am noticing more soreness in the whole area of both armpits as some of the feeling is returning.